More than 216 million had tuned in to view the third season of the Indian Super League and the third season finale on December 18 between Kerala Blasters FC and Atletico de Kolkata in Kochi turned out to be a grand sporting event with over 54,000 people thronging the stadium and 41 million fans tuning in on television to follow the match.

The total number of viewership was increased by 41 per cent as compared to the final of 2015, with viewership in impressions shattering all previous TV & Digital records of the league and one of the highlights of the season was the sharp increase in rural India viewership registering a cumulative figure of 101 million, indicating the widespread appeal of the sport, the organisers said in a release.

Football Sports Development Limited Founder and Chairperson Nita Ambani remained optimistic on the increasing popularity of Indian football attributing the surge in fan following and team affinity to 'ISL vision'.

"The overwhelming response from fans is testament to the vision we have for the league, and it reaffirms our faith that Indian football is moving in right direction. The response from newer markets like Tamil Nadu and Mumbai, and further growth in established markets like West Bengal, Kerala etc shows the appetite for the sport. Stadium attendance, viewership numbers and growth on digital platform this season further encourages us to reset our benchmark for the season ahead," Nita Ambani said.